Mihrung Plains is located far to the south of the Last
Hope area, almost due south in fact. The surrounding area gives it part
of it's name, a vast expanse of bare grasslands, rolling hills covered
in nothing but knee-high tussock. Further to the south, there are
mountains visible, a blue-grey line on the far horizon, dotted with
white in winter.
Mihrung Plains itself is a shallow valley within this hill system. It
contains two springs, one of which flows into a small lake in the center
of the valley, and from there into a creek that travels further south.
There are several large, flat outcrops of rock dotting the valley, which
the dragons use to sun and sleep. Their riders and the other inhabitants
of the Plains live in houses built half into the hillside. The older
residencies are dug deeper and boast walls and roofs of stone, heated
with several fire places. Those newer buildings are generally made of
wood, and ground crews must protect them during Fall.
Wherries are the most common native animal, followed by tunnel snakes.
The most abundant living thing, however, are the Mihrung bushes from
which the group takes its name. Growing to approximately 1m high, these
bushes are full of needle sharp thorns. Newly growing bushes are flimsy
and easy to remove, older bushes have thick wooden stems, and are close
to impossible to uproot. There are several people on duty
most hours of the day to uproot small bushes before they take hold.
The Hatching Area is an area of sand brought in from the coast, ringed
with stones. When eggs are on the Sands, hot coals are mixed in with the
sand to provide warmth, due to the cooler climate (this is not necessary
in summer).
The climate is temperate, dry, with temperatures reaching 5-10C in
winter and 20-30C in summer. Rain is not frequent, and winter is the
wetter month. All four seasons are noticeable, as opposed to the
two-seasoned tropical climates.
